Conveyer belt



y 11, 3 c. M. M cHEsNEY EI'AL 2,155,395

CONVEYER BELT Filed Dec. 24, 1937 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented July 11, 1939 UNITED STAT-ES CONVEYER BELT Chester M. MacChesney, Chicago, and Allen B.

Wilson, Evans'tomzllL, assignors to Acme Steel Company, Chi cago, lll.,,a corporation of Il- V linois 1 Appuatstnttemba 24, 1 ss7; seria1N0.-1s1 ,4ve eblai'nis." (01.:519'81-jf189)!" y This invention relates to improvements in conveyer belts and its purposeis to provide an improvedform of conveyer. belt 'made up of metal plates which are .pivotally connected together to form a substantially continuous bearing surface for conveying loose materials and the'like. The presentinvention is an improvement upon the conveyer belt described and claimed-in the copending applicationv of Chester M. MacChesney, Serial No. 87,141, filed-.June'25, 1936-,-wherein there is disclosed a form of conveyer belt made' up ofa' pluralityvof metal plates arranged in rows transversely of thebelt with the plates of each row staggered with respect to those of the next adjacent rows and with tongues formed on the plates intermeshing with similar tongues on the 7 plates-in adjacent rows, and with pivot pins engaging bearing sleeves carriedby the projecting tongues for establishing pivotal connections between the platesof adjacent rows.

The principal object .of the. present invention is toprovide an improvement on thecionveye'r belt described above byproviding means at the ends; of -therows of plates for preventing the withdrawal of the pins which establish thepivotalconnections between the plates in adjacent rows. A further object of the invention is to provide a conveyer belt of the kind referred to comprising auxiliary protector plates which are detachably secured to certain of the pivotally connectedplates at the ends of the rows for the purpose of protecting the edges of these plates against contact with parallel guide members which-are commonly employed'at the sides of, the pathof travel -i of a conveyer belt. A further object is to provide 7 a conveyer belt of the kind described having plates detachably mounted at the v,ends of the rows ofpivotally connected plates forvpreventing V the withdrawal of the pivot-pins and at the same 4U timprote'cting the edges of the belt from damage by contact with guide members adjacent .to the path of travel of the belt, Other objects relate to various features of construction and arrangement which will appear more fully here inafter. v The nature of the invention, will be understood from" the following specification taken with the accompanying drawings in which oneembodiment is illustrated.

In the drawings, h h t J Figure'l shows a side elevation of a conveyer belt embodying the improvements of the present Fi'g. 5 shows a transverse section taken on the Fig. '6 shows a transverse section taken on the line 66-0f Fig. 2;

. Fig. 7 is a perspective View of one of the metal platesembodied in the conveyer belt shown in Figs. 1 to 6, inclusive;

Fig. 8 is a perspective View of one of the plates employed at'the ends, of therows for connection with one of the protector plates of the present invention; r

. Fig. 9 is a perspective view of one of the filler plates which are employed at the ends of certain of the rows in order to cause the ends of the rows toalign with-each other at the sides of the belt; and.

Fig. 10 is a perspective view of one of the protector plates which, according to the present invention, are mounted at the sides of the belt to prevent the removal of the pivot pins and to protect: the edges of the other plates.

Inthe accompanying drawings, the invention isv shown as being embodied in an endless conveyer belt. lil which is mounted to travel around supporting pulleys or rolls H which are secured on shafts l2. Oneof these shafts is driven to cause the. upper stretch of the belt to move in the direction of thearrow l3 and this load conveying portion of the belt is supported at intervals by idler rolls [4 carried by shafts which are journaled in: suitable bearings. The belt I0 is made up of a plurality of plates 15, formed of sheet steel;, or the like, which have the form shown particularly, inpFig. 7.- Each plate I5 is provided on opposite sides, with notches [5 of rectangular form which are similar in size, and the formation of these notches provides projecting tongues I5 at opposite sides of each notch. Each projecting tongue,.l5 has its ends downwardly curled to form a sleeve or bearing member [5 adapted to be; engaged .by one of the pivot pins by which the metal plates are, connected together. Midway between the ends [5 of each plate, the metal of the plates has a depression l5 therein which is formed by a downwardly extending V-shaped rib l5 These ribs extend I between the opposite notches l5 and are of substantiallythe same depth as the bearing sleeve l5 so that when a plurality of the plates are connected together the ribs I5 are adapted toengage the supporting rolls [4 between the bearing sleeves l5, thereby preventingup and down motion or vibration of the load conveying portion of the belt during its travel. I i H v i a 'Since the plates,l5 in each row are staggered with respect to those in adjacent rows, it follows that portions of theseplates in alternate rows will project beyond the ends of the corresponding plates in intermediate rows and in order that these intervening spaces may be occupied, a plurality of of plates.

jecting tongues l6 having sleeve-like bearing portions I60 formed thereon. At one end of the plate l6, there is a down-turned flange I6 which corresponds in size and form to a half portion of one of the ribs i5f formed on a plate 15 When the plates are assembled as shown in Figs. 2, 3 and 4, each notch W is adapted to receive two of the tongues l5 carried by two plates l5 in an adjacent row, or a notch 15 may be occupied by one of the projections or tongues 15 and'one of the tongues lfi at the edges of the belt. The notches 55 are fully occupied by the tongues I5 and lt except for small slots at the inner margins of the notches as shown in Big 2 and a substantially continuous metallic bearing surface is therefore provided for the materials being conveyed. The plates which are arranged in intermeshing fashion as shown in Fig. 2 are pivotally connected by pivot pins ll of cylindrical form which extend through the aligning bearing sleeves of plates in adjacent rows.

The features described above constitute, the invention of the said Chester M. MacChesney and the present improvement relates to the provision of a belt of that type comprising a plurality. of protector plates l8 which have the form shown particularly in Fig. 10. Each plate l8 comprises a body portion H3 adapted to rest upon the top of the edge portion of one of the plates l5, and a down-turned flange l8}? which is adapted to extend downwardly alongside the edge I54 of a plate 55. The body portion [8 of. each plate I8 is provided with a pair of tongues I8 which are adapted to pass through an elongated slot l5 formed in one of the plates l5 at the end of. one of ,the rows The depending flange 18 of each plate i8 is provided with a pair of. downwardly and inwardly inclined punched projections. l8 which are adaptedto hook beneath the edge I5 of one of the plates 15.. as shown particularly in Fig. 6.

After putting one of the plates. I8 in place with the projections 18? extending beneath the edgeof a plate i5 and with the tongues |8entering oneof the slots l5 the tongues l8 arethen. reversely.v .bent as shown at E8 in Fig. 6, thereby securely holding the plate is in position;

By a reverse operation the plates i8; may be removed. These plates l8 are mountedat. each end of alternate rows of plates l5and occupy positions on opposite sides of one of the intervening filler plates l6, as

outwardly beyond the flanges of the path of travel of the conveyer belt. The

plate l8 presents smooth surfaces of considerable area for contact'with the guide members 20 sothat the catching of any parts of the belt on the guide members is prevented and damage to the plates l5 and i6 is avoided.

Although one form of the invention has been,

shown and described by way of illustration, it will be understood that it may be constructed in various other embodiments coming within the scope of the appended claims.

We claim:

1. A conveyer belt comprising a plurality of plates, pivot pins for connecting said plates, and protector plates carried by certain of said first named plates for preventing the withdrawal of said pins, said protector plates and the plates by which they are carried having coacting interlocking parts permitting said protector plates to be readily detached.

2. A conveyer belt comprising a plurality of plates, pivot pins for connecting said plates to form anendless flexible belt, said plates extending edge to edge in the longitudinal stretches of the belt to form a substantially flat continuous surface, and protector plates attached to the outer surfaces of certain of said first named plates and having flanges extending downwardly past the edges of said first named plates at the sides of the belt to prevent the withdrawal of said pins.

3. A conveyer belt comprising a plurality of plates having, parts intermeshing with each other to prevent relative separation of said plates transversely of the belt, pivot pins engaging parts of said plates for pivotally connecting adjacent plates, and means carried by said belt and having flanges extending downwardly at the sides of said belt for preventing endwise movement of said pivot pins with respect to said plates.

4. A conveyer belt comprising a plurality of metal plates arranged in rows and having bearing portions at their edges, pivot pins engaging said bearing portions to connect the plates of adjacent rows, certain of said plates at'the ends of said rows being provided with slots, and protector plates seated on said last named plates and having flanges extending downwardly to prevent the withdrawal of said pivot pins, said protector plates having tongues engaging said slots to hold said protector plates in position.

5. A conveyer belt comprising a plurality of metal plates arranged inrows and having bearing portions. at their edges, pivot pins engaging said bearingportions to connect the plates of adjacent rows, certain of said plates at the ends of said rows. being provided with slots, and protector plates seated on said last named plates and having flanges extending downwardly to prevent the withdrawal of said pivot pins, said protector plates having tongues engaging saidslots to hold said protector plates in position, said downwardly extendingflanges of said protector plates having inwardly inclined projections adapted to underlie said first named plates on which said protector plates are mounted.

6. A conveyer belt comprising a plurality of flat plates arranged'in rows transversely of the belt and having longitudinally projecting parts intermeshing with each other to prevent relative lateral separation of the plates, pivot pins engaging the intermeshing parts of said plates for pivotally connecting adjacent rows of plates, thereby forming a belt having a substantially continuous flat outer surface, and protector plates resting on and secured to certain of said first named plates at the ends of said rows and having parts projecting past the ends of said pivot pins for preventing endwise movement of all of said pins.

CHESTER. M.. MAcCI-IESNEY. ALLEN B. WILSON. 

